May is officially recognized by the Government of Canada as Asian Heritage Month. Asian Heritage Month offers us an opportunity to learn more about the history of Canadians of Asian heritage and to celebrate their diverse contributions to our society. The theme for 2026 is “Honouring Asian Canadians: Stories that Built Canada”.
Over the last two centuries, immigrants have journeyed to Canada from East Asia, Southern Asia, Western, Central and Southeast Asia, bringing our society a rich cultural heritage representing many languages, ethnicities and religious traditions. Asian Canadian Cultures in Canada Include:
- East Asia: China, Japan, Korea, Mongolia, Taiwan
- South East Asia: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, East Timor, Vietnam
- South Asia: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka
- Western Asia: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Cyprus, Georgia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, State of Palestine, Syria, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Yemen
- Central Asia: Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan
Explore resources to learn more about the history and contributions of Canadians of Asian Heritage: redi.med.ubc.ca/asian-heritage-month
See what’s happening at UBC: events.ubc.ca/asian-heritage-month-at-ubc